Caster truck



R. C. KEPNER Nov. 2, 1943.

CASTER TRUCK Filed March 5, 1942 Patented Nov. 2, 1943 CASTER TRUCKvRobert C. Kenner, Bloomsburg, Pa., assignor to American Car and FoundryCompany, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application March5, 1942, Serial No. 433,501

6 Claims. (Cl. 105-179) This invention relates to trucks in general andin particular to caster trucks for use under mine or other industrialcars traveling over irregular road beds.

In recent years haulage requirements have necessitated the increase incapacity of mine and industrial cars to the point where the conventionalfour wheel type of car can no longer be used. In most cases it isimpossible to use the more or less standard type of railway truck sinceclearances and roughness of road bed prevent their use. The majority ofmine and industrial trackage is poorly laid, resulting in eX- tremelyirregular track in both the vertical and the horizontal directions. Suchirregularities require trucks which are extremely flexible and canfollow both the horizontal and the vertical irregularities of the trackand with a minimum transmission of strain to the car body. It is anobject, therefore, of the present invention to provide a caster truckwhich can readily follow all irregularities in the track.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a caster truck forresiliently supporting the car body and which truck will follow allirregularities in the track whether in a vertical or in a horizontaldirection.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a castertruck having a spring mounted center bowl about which the truck framemay oscillate in a vertical direction under control of the springs.

A yet further object of the invention is the provision of a caster truckframe having a center bowl spring mounted thereon for oscillatory andvertical sliding movements.

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent to personsskilled in the art from a study of the following description andaccompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side view of the improved truck with part of the framebroken away to better disclose the construction;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the improved truck;

Fig. 3 is a sectional View taken substantially on line 3 3 of Fig. 2,and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 4 4 of Fig. 2. 'v

Referring now to thedrawing in detail, it will be seen that the truck'isof the stub axle type and may be mounted in any position desired. inorder to support the car body, but preferably the trucks will be mountedunder the four corners of the body as shown in Joy Patent 2.271,195. Asclearly shown, the truckframe'is of rigid construction with the sidesformed of pressed channels having webs 2 and outwardly directed top andbottom flanges 4 and 6 respectively. 'Ihese channels are placed inspaced back to back relation and rigidly tied together at their ends bycross plates 8 securely welded or otherwise secured to the webs andflanges. Adjacent the ends of the channel form side frames the lowerflange and part of the web are out 5 away as at I0 in order that theaxle l2 may be dropped out of the frame. The frame is supported upon theaxles by means of bearing blocks I4 fastened in place by bolts or othermeans I6 extending through the blocks and through the upper and lowerflangesof the side frames. These bearing blocks not only support thetruck on the axle ends, but more than compensate for the metal removedfrom the side frames, thus strengthening the frames at the axle zone.The axles are held in place by the bearing blocks and can be removed bytaking out bolts I6 and pulling the blocks I4 01T the axle ends afterwhich the axle and supporting wheel W may be dropped out of the frame.Intermediate the axle areas of the truck the side frames are bent so asto provide a widened central portion for accommodation of the specialfloating center bowl or bear-.- ing. The widened portions ofthe truckside frames are rigidly tied together by vertically ex- 25 tendingvplates 20 welded or-otherwise secured to the side frame webs and to abottom plate 22. This bottom plate is rigidly secured by welding orother means to the bottom flanges of the side frames as well as to thelower edgesof the 30 vertically extending tie plates 20. `Thus it willbe seen that the` truck side frames are rigidly tied together adjacenttheir ends and adjacent the center by an upwardly open box like portion,thereby producing an extremely strong l truck frame. As shown in Figs. 1and 2, one of the end plates 3 has secured thereto spaced plates 24adapted to receive apin 26 extending therethrough and throughv a tie bar28 which will extend across the car and be connected to the end plate ofa similar truck on the opposite side of the car. This tie bar can,ofcourse, be attached to the truck side frames at other points as iswell known in the art.

The upwardly open box like central portion of the truck no t onlyrigidly ties the truck frame together, but also serves to receive thespecial floating truck center bowl which is mountedv on four springs 30resting at their lower ends on the bottom plate 22 and bearing at theirupper ends upon the under side of the rim 32 of the floating centerbowl. Lugs 34 and 35 are formed on the bottom plate and center bowl rimrespectively to retain the springs in position and prevent their kickingto one side. The floating center bowl is formed with thetop plate or rim32, just referred to, from which depends the cup likeprojection 36having a heavy bottom or end 38. The rim Iand cup like projection areconnected together by buttressing walls 4D which are curved 60 toconform to the springs, as best shown in Figs.

Trunnions 44 are formed integral with thev l side buttressing ribs andextend outwardlyfor vertically guided movement in upwardly slots 46 cutor otherwise formed in center bowl guide plates A8. These plates arerlmdlysecurcd What is claimed is:

l. A caster truck assembly comprising, side pieces supported on spacedwheels and axles, a plurality of tie pieces rigidly connecting said sidepieces together intermediate said Wheels `and axles and forming withsaid side pieces an upwardly open boxy like structure, springs locatedwithin said box like structure adjacent each corner therreot, and aoating center bowl supported by means. such as welding, to the webs ofthe side.'

frames and to the bottom plate22 and, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3,they extend above the side frames and have the upper extensionsbuttressed by small plates l) welded or otherwise secured to the guideplates and to the top .anges of theytruck frame. The springs 30' arepreferably assembled and placed under a slight precompression, afterwhich retaining lugs '52 are riveted. or otherwise secured lin positionv'upon the top langes of the truck side rarnes` and extend inwardlyabove the trunnions 44, thus holding the vlloatingcenter bowl andsprings in position.

The car body, a portion of `which is indicated at w in Fign, has rigidlyconnected thereto by means of bolts `62 abody carried center bearing 64;This body carried center bearing is formed with a hollow dependingprojection 66 closed at its bottom by an end wall lill adapted to bearupon the bottom wall 38 of the floating truck center bowl. 'The hollowprojection/68 is formed with a discontinuous rib ,1t adapted to beengaged beneath the lugs '12 formed on the upper surface of the floatingtruck'center bowl rim 32. By making the rib '1U discontinuous the entiretruck assembly may 'be locked upon the body carried center bearing orpin to V*merely by vrais-lng the truck into position. and then rotating`through ninety degrees to its iinal running position.

From the preceding description it will be seen that the extremely rigidtruck frame isv supported on wheels arranged in tandem and with lthetruck frame carried on atiudk center 'bo'wl which Afloats .uponthesprings 3U. Lateral thrusts imparted from the truck to the body will betransmitted through the surfaces 42 and guide plates 4'8, while lore andaft thrusts caused by braking will be transmitted to the body 'bythetrunnions M. Rotation of the truck in a horizontal plane vis 'permittedthrough relative rotation between the .floating 'truck center bowl andthe rigid body center `Din. Vertical vswinging or `oscillation of thetruck may take place at any "position of the truck, being permitted bythe trunnions M and by the compressionV or .extension of springs .30. Inother words. .the vertical. 4nnovements .of the truck will becontrolledby the springs 3B which resiliently support the ear body fandthe degree on said springs for'controlled rocking movement relative to`said iside pieces.

2. A caster truck assembly comprising, side pieces supported on spacedwheels and axles, a

of control will depend ,upon the v4loadzin the car.,

'that fis, a 'hightwcar will more readily permit `vertical oscillationof the :truck'than will :a ,heavily loaded car.

While the inventiemfhas been. described more or less in detail by specicrdnrenne to one form f tion.

plurality of tie pieces rigidly connecting said side pieces togetherintermediate said wheels. and axles and forming withsald ,side pieces anup-- wardly open box like, structure, .springsflocated within said boxlike structure adjacent each corner thereof, anda oatlng center bowlsupported on said .springs for controlled rocking movement relative tosaid side pieces, said center bowl bef ing formed with a depending cuplike central portion located 'between said ,springs and adapted toreceive a rigid body post.

3. A caster truck assembly comprising, side pieces supported on spacedwheels and axles, a plurality of tie pieces rigidlyy connecting .saidside pieces together intermediate said wheels and axles and forming withsaid side pieces an upwardly open box like structure, resilient .meanslocated Within saidfbox like stmcture, a floating center bowl supportedon .said resilient means for vertical and rocking movements, laterallyprojecting trunnions formed on said center bowl., and guide platessecured tov .said side piecesV and formedv with elongated slots forguiding said trunnions.

4. A caster .truck assembly comprising, `side pieces supported on spacedwheels and axles, a plurality of tiepieces rigidlyconnecting said sidepieces together intermediate said wheels and axlesiand .formingwlth saidside pieces an upwardly openbox like structure, resilient means locatedwithin said box like structure. a floating center bowlsupported on said.resilient means for vertical movements relative to the side pieces, andmeans to guide the vertical movements of said centerbowl, said meansbdng so formed and arranged as to allow rocking Imovements .of saidcenter bowl upon said resilient means.

5. Asan article of manufacture, Va .lloating `center bowl for car truckscomprising an upwardly vopen cup like central portion ,adapted to.receive a car pivot post, a rim ,substantially surrounding the top edgeof said central portion and formed ,integral therewith, and buttressingribsconnecting said rim and central portion, said ribs ,being shapedtoreceive and Yat least partially house resilient supporting means.

6. As an article of manufacture, a floating center Abowl for car, truckscomprising .an upwardly open cup like central portion adapted to.receive .a car pivot postI a rim substantially surrounding fthe topledge of said central portion and formed integral therewith, buttresslng.ribs .connecting said rim and central portion and shaped to receiveresilient supporting means, and oppositely disposed trunnions extendinglaterally outward from certain .of said ribs and about which said rborwlmay rock.

ROBERT C. KEPNER.

